Razor Blade Sharpening Device and Method

ABSTRACT

A sharpening device is provided for sharpening the multiple parallel blades engaged in the head of a safety razor. The device employs a paddled wheel which spins within an interior cavity of a housing. The distal ends of each paddle slidably contact each blade in the blade head to sharpen and straighten them.

This application is a non-provisional application of provisional application No. 62/119,019 filed on Feb. 20, 2015, and is incorporated herein by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to razor blades employed on conventional safety razors. More particularly, it relates to a device and method employing a sharpening device configured with the plurality of paddles positioned to contact the blade or blades sequentially with a curved stropping and polishing surface to sharpen and straighten the edges of the metal blades.

2. Prior Art

In modern homes the use of the safety razor is a very common daily occurrence for most men and women for use in shaving and removing unwanted body hair. Conventionally, a razor is a shaving device which includes a handle which extends from one or a plurality of razor blades affixed on a distal end in a razor head. This razor head in some razors is fixed and non removable and in other razors is removably engageable to allow the user to replace the razor head with one having new and sharp blades. Generally speaking razors with nonremovable razor heads are inexpensive and intended to be disposed of once the blades have dulled. Razors with removable razor heads are usually more expensive and therefore the manufacturers provide razor heads which may be removed and replaced with a fresh razor head having sharp blades once those of the older razor head have dulled.

Because the razor blades which are mounted in the razor head are manufactured from very thin, metallic material, they tend to wear out rather quickly. The cost for replacing such blades by disposing of the used razor head and installing a new one when desired, on an annual basis, can be a significant amount of money since each razor handle is configured by the manufacturer to only engage with razor heads manufactured by the same manufacturer and such can be expensive since there is no competition or available substitute to the user once the razor has been purchased. Further, throwing away blade heads formed of plastic and metal adds to pollution and land fills since such cannot be recycled.

Attempts have been made to develop an alternative that will prolong the useful life of such single and multi-blade safety razor heads by sharpening the blades so that they can be used repeatedly. Consequently, some sharpeners to hone the dulled razor blade edges have come on the market.

Most such sharpeners use some type of translating or rotating belt, or stone, or grinder formed of abrasive material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,702 teaches a device for the sharpening of razor blades which employs a pair of vibrating sharpening stones. When the blade is engaged and moved from side to side, each side of the blade is sharpened by a separate individual vibrating stone.

Another example of prior art is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,299 which teaches a razor blade sharpener for razor heads which include multiple blades. As taught, a biased rotating belt formed of abrasive material is placed in contact with the blades when engaged with the device. The belt runs horizontally across all the blade edges of the multiple blade head simultaneously and does not necessarily compensate for the angle of each of the multiple blades. Further, there is no means taught to remove the residue resulting from the sharpening process or left between the blades from shaving.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,874 teaches a razor sharpening apparatus which uses a rotatable hub which includes a flexible sharpening strip formed of an abrasive surface such as grit or sandpaper mounted on the hub for sharpening one or more blades. However the use of abrasive material easily wears the blades down and as the abrasive material is rotated across the face of the blades at an angle perpendicular to the blade edge, it can easily leave marks and grooves extending into the cutting edge of the blade rendering it somewhat corrugated in shape.

As can be discerned, prior art blade sharpeners operate using highly abrasive material which is placed in contact with the razor blades of a shaving head in an effort to sharpen them. However, using such abrasive materials can also impart grooves or recesses to the blades and edges and in some modes actually ruin the factory edge by encountering it at the wrong angle. Such will of course provide uneven sharpening of the factory-provided blade which in most instances may simply be dirty with grime and easily placed back into factory-new condition without grinding or abrasive contact with sharpening devices.

As such, there exists an unmet need, for a razor blade sharpening device and method which is easily employed by the user to recondition and sharpen the cutting edges of the single and multiple blade safety razors as well as realign each blade. Such a device should endeavor to place the blade edges back into a sharp condition without the use of rotating stones and belts formed of abrasive and potentially damaging material. Such a device should allow for the easy positioning and sharpening of blade heads by the user and re-sharpen one or a plurality of blades in the blade head correctly, and quickly irrespective of the angle of the blades.

The forgoing examples of related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the disclosed blade sharpening invention and method described and claimed herein. Various limitations of the related art are already or will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the specification below and the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device and method herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings in the prior art method and devices employed for the re-sharpening and reconditioning of safety razor blade edges having a plurality of parallel blades in a head. Additionally, the curved surface not only shapes each of the plurality of blades, it also realigns each bladed to a straight edge.

The system herein provides for the sharpening and reconditioning of the cutting edges of razor blades engaged in single and multiple positions in a conventionally employed safety razor. However, unlike the prior art, the system herein provides for this sharpening and cleaning of the blade cutting edges of each blade in a razor head, without the use of overly abrasive materials being placed in contact with the blade edges. Instead of employing rotating stones, and elongated belts formed of abrasive material, the system herein provides a rotating wheel having at least one and preferably a plurality of leather strips or paddles engaged thereon, formed in a length configured wherein the distal end curved surface of each paddle, contacts each of a plurality of parallel blades, in a sliding contact across the cutting edge of each blade in a blade head. The curved surface has also shown the function to realign any blade edge which is not straight.

The device is configured with a housing, having a top surface adapted with a recess sized to contact and position the razor head having one or multiple parallel blades, in a position for a reconditioning and sharpening contact with the curved distal end of one or preferably a plurality of flexible paddles engaged at respective first ends with the wheel. The wheel is rotated by a motor which is powered by a rechargeable or replaceable battery or by power from a conventional AC socket communicated directly to the device.

The recess formed in the top surface has an aperture therein communicating with the interior cavity of the housing. Consequently when a razor head having one or a plurality of parallel spaced cutting blades therein is placed into the recess, the cutting edges of each blade are positioned to come into contact with a portion of the curved exterior surface of the distal ends of each flexible leather paddle engaged to the rotating wheel inside the cavity. Of course the distal end curved surface may be formed of another material similar in abrasiveness to leather, or leather infused with silica or other materials.

In a particularly preferred mode of the device and method, at least the distal ends of each of the paddles are formed of leather, such as horse hide or bovine hide, having a smooth tanned surface which is configured in a curve or loop configuration to the wheel. Consequently, this configuration provides one or a plurality of such flexible leather paddles where the distal end of each tanned leather paddle, contacts each of the blades with a portion of a curved surface.

Thus, the distal end of each paddle so formed, will first contact each cutting edge of each blade on a first side of the distal edge of the paddle, and each parallel blade edge will follow a curved pathway around the curved distal end of each looped leather paddle as the wheel rotates. Experimentation has found this looped distal end formed of leather to be far superior to another mode of the device herein which employs a flexible paddle formed with a smooth surface of tanned leather or a similar material having a frictional index or coefficient of friction, similar to smooth tanned leather material. This secondary mode, is of course still superior to the prior art, by re-sharpening and straightening each of the multiple edges of razor blades in a safety razor, through the employment of these flexible paddles which will not damage the blades being sharpened with stone or other stone-like abrasives.

Additionally, with multiple paddles, one or more of the curved surfaces of the paddles may be formed of a woven or non woven fabric which can be included to clean the surface of each parallel blade. Such fabrics include canvas, linen, or compressed felt.

In use, for blade heads with multiple parallel blades in a blade head, the user simply positions the blade head of the safety razor within the recess on the top surface of the housing. The recess is sized to contact at least two opposing edges of the body of the blade head, and position it such that the plurality of blades, project past the interior surface of the housing.

Once so positioned, a motor of the device is energized using a switch which can also be automatic once a seating of the razor head on the recess is sensed. Thereafter at least one and preferably a plurality of flexible paddles, having at least the distal ends formed of leather or a material having an abrasive index and flexibility similar thereto, will sequentially and repeatedly contact, and slide across the cutting edges of each of the plurality of parallel blades in the lade head.

Where the preferred looped or rounded distal edge is employed with the length of the paddles such that a leading edge of each curved surface contacts each of the blades, each blade edge will follow a curved path around the distal edge during sharpening. Such has been found to provide excellent sharpening of each of a plurality of parallel blades as well as realignment thereof.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed razor blade sharpening device and method thereof in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing razor blade sharpening methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device and method. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

As used in the claims to describe the various inventive aspects and embodiments, “comprising” means including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word “comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present. By “consisting of” is meant including, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”. Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By “consisting essentially of” is meant including any elements listed after the phrase, and limited to other elements that do not interfere with or contribute to the activity or action specified in the disclosure for the listed elements. Thus, the phrase “consisting essentially of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present depending upon whether or not they affect the activity or action of the listed elements.

It is an object of the invention to provide a razor blade sharpening device and method which employs flexible paddles without using stone or metal or similar abrasives.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a razor sharpening device which employs one or a plurality of flexible paddles sized where rounded or curved distal ends will provide a curved path of contact to sharpen and straighten each of the parallel razor blades.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements described in this specification and hereinafter described in the following detailed description which fully discloses the invention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features of the razor blade sharpening device and method herein. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a top surface of a housing of the device showing an opening or recess therein adapted to contact at least two opposing edges of a blade head and position a blade head in a registered position to project the blades into the housing for sharpening by an underlying flexible paddle.

FIG. 2 shows an overhead view of the device of FIG. 1 showing one mode of forming opposing blade head contact surfaces.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 depicting the parallel adjacent blades in position to contact and follow a curved path of contact around the distal ends of the paddles during sharpening.

FIG. 4 shows a view of a mode of the rotating wheel of FIG. 3 and depicting the curved contact pathway at the distal ends of each flexible paddle which are depicted in U-shaped leather sheets engaged to the wheel.

FIG. 4a shows that the paddles may be removably engageable and replaced, and also shows the radial or curved pathway for contacting each parallel blade in a blade head.

FIG. 4b shows a paddle as in FIG. 4a depicting a length “L” and width “W” which would be configured such that each paddle is of a length whereby a leading edge of the curved end would contact each blade.

FIG. 5 shows another mode of the wheel having a plurality of flexible paddles formed of sheets of leather which are folded over at the distal end.

FIG. 5a shows the that the paddles in all modes may be removably engageable to the hub of the wheel to allow replacement.

FIG. 6 shows a view of a mode of the paddles wherein the distal ends may be slightly curved in a smaller radius than that of FIG. 4 or 5.

FIG. 6a again shows again that the paddles may be removably engaged.

Other aspects of the present razor blade sharpening device and method thereof shall be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description, neither of which should be considered limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only and they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-6, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 a perspective view of the device 10. As shown a top surface 12 of a housing 14 of the device 10 has an opening or recess 16 formed therein. The recess 16 is configured to engaged a blade head 20 (FIG. 3) in a registered position such that each of the blades 22, extending from the blade head 20, projects through an aperture 25 at opening in the recess 16 into the interior cavity 26 of the housing 14. This engagement of the blade head 20 with the recess 16, places each of the adjacent blades 22 in the blade head 20, in a position to contact and follow a curved path of contact around the curved distal end 28 of a paddle 30 rotating in the interior cavity 26 of the housing 14. For example, opposing sides 17 of a shelf can be formed in the recess 16 which will contact edges of the blade head 20 in a manner to position the blades 22 projecting into the interior cavity 26.

In FIG. 2, a top view of the housing 14 provides an overhead view of the recess 16 and shows at least to opposing sides 17 position the form a shelf or contact for areas of the blade head 20 and position the blades 20 projecting into the internal cavity 26 of the housing 14. Also depicted are the curved distal end 28 of a paddle 20 which can be seen through the aperture 25 formed through the top 14 of the housing 14 in the recess 16.

As noted, in FIG. 3 a sectional view of the device 10 through FIG. 1, is depicted showing the device 10 with a blade head 20 in the as-used configuration with a safety razor 21 having the blades 22 and blade head 23 positioned and in contact with the shelf formed within the recess 16. As can be seen in this preferred mode of the device 10, and in FIG. 3 for example, a curved path 32 of contact for each of the blades 22 projecting into the internal cavity 26, communicates around the exterior or facing surface at the distal ends 28 of the paddles 30.

This curved path 32 of engagement and contact with the blades 22 can be longer or shorter depending on a length “L” shown in FIG. 4b , of the blade 22 forming the paddles 30. A longer length “L” such that the distal end 28 of the paddle 30 contacts each blade 20 during rotation of the wheel, allows contact of the curved distal end 28 lower upon on a leading edge, and thus a longer curved path 32 of contact against each blade 22. This is accomplished for example where the length “L” of the paddle 30 from the wheel 38 to the distal end 28, is equal to or longer than a distance from the exterior of the wheel 30 to an interior surface 27 of the interior cavity 26 which surrounds the opening through which the blades 22 project past that interior surface 27.

Conversely, a shorter length “L” can be formed to raise the contact point of each blade 22 with the leading edge of the distal ends 28 and thus shorten the length of the curved pathway 32 of contact. For example a length from the first end of the paddle 30 from the exterior of the wheel 38, to a distal end 28 of the paddle 30, which is long enough to contact the edges of each of the projecting blades 22, but is less than the distance from the wheel 38 to the interior surface 27 surrounding the blades 22 projecting into the interior cavity 26.

The curved distal end 28, of each paddle 30 thereby provides such a curved pathway 32 and contact surface with each blade 22 at the distal end 28 of each flexible paddle 33. The paddles 30 may be entirely formed of leather or a similar flexible material. Or the paddles 30 can be formed of a flexible material such as a polymeric material, with the distal ends 28 formed of leather or a material having a similar coefficient of friction. Forming the paddles 30 of flexible material from their engagement end to the wheel to the distal ends 28, allows each paddle 30 to flex upon contact of the distal end 28 with each surface of each blade 22. This flex insures that once each blade 22 contacts the distal end 28, it is drawn in this contact around the distal end 28 forming the curved pathway 32 of contact.

Of course other materials might be employed to achieve the curved distal end 28, and pathway 32 at the distal ends 28 of each paddle 30, if the material has a similar abrasive index to that of tanned leather and such is anticipated within the scope of this application. Further, as noted, the plurality of rotating paddles 30 can include at least one having a distal end 28 formed of woven or non woven textile fabric to provide a cleaning surface along the curved pathway 32 of contact with each blade 22.

It should be noted that the curved distal ends 28 of the paddles 33 may also be achieved by employing flexible material with a bulbous distal end which has an index of abrasion or friction similar to that of tanned leather. Such could be manufactured in a unitary structure with a proximal end configured to connect to the wheel, and a bulbous distal end forming the curved pathway around the distal end of the paddle 33 which the blades follow during sharpening.

Also shown in FIG. 3 is a view of the rotating wheel 38 which is powered by the motor 40 (FIG. 3) which is energized by a replaceable or rechargeable battery 42 or other low voltage electric power such as a small transformer or charge.

FIG. 4 shows a view of a mode of the rotating wheel 38 of figure of FIG. 3, and depicting the curved contact pathway 32 at the distal ends 28 of each flexible paddle 30. In this figure the paddles are shown formed of leather material or similar material in U-shaped sheets and engaged to a base 31 adapted for engagement to the wheel 38. This engagement could be by friction or mechanical engagement the base 31 to the wheel 38 or by other removable engagement. Alternatively the paddles 30 can be permanently engaged to a wheel 38 and replaced all at once by replacement with a similarly configured wheel 38.

FIG. 4a shows that the paddles 30 may be removably engageable and replaced as noted. Further shown, is the radial or curved contact pathway 32 which contacts each parallel blade 22 mounted in a blade head 22. The lines extending radially indicate, depending on the direction of wheel 38 rotation, that the blades 22 will contact the curved distal end 28 at a first point and follow around the curved distal end 28 in contact with the blade, as the mid portion 21 of each paddle 30 flexes while the distal end 28 is in such contact.

FIG. 4b shows a paddle as in FIG. 4a depicting a length “L” and width “W” which would be configured such that each paddle is of a length whereby a leading edge of the curved distal end 28 will contact each blade 22 in the plurality and then follow the curved contact pathway 32 around it as the mid portion 21 of the paddle 30 flexes slightly.

FIG. 5 shows another mode of the wheel 38 having a plurality of flexible paddles 30 formed of sheets of leather or material with a similar coefficient of friction, which are folded over at the distal end 28 to form the curved contact pathway 32. FIG. 5a shows the that the paddles 30 in this and in all modes may be removably engageable to the wheel 38 to allow replacement.

FIG. 6 shows a view of a mode of the paddles 30 wherein the distal ends 28 may be slightly curved in a smaller radius than that of FIG. 4 or 5. Also, FIG. 6a again shows again that the paddles 30 may be removably engaged to the wheel 38 to allow for replacement.

While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the razor blade sharpening system and method of employment have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. 

What is claimed:
 1. A sharpening apparatus for safety razors having a plurality of parallel blades engaged in a blade head, comprising: a housing having sidewalls defining an interior cavity; an opening in said housing, said opening configured to contact a blade head having a plurality of razor bladed engaged therewith; said opening in said contact with said blade head, positioning said blades to a sharpening position, with each projecting past an interior surface of said interior cavity surrounding said opening, and into said interior cavity; a wheel engaged within said interior cavity; a plurality of paddles engaged at respective first ends with said wheel; each of said paddles having a distal end and a mid portion in-between said distal end and said first end; said paddles formed of flexible material; a rotation of said wheel imparting a rotation to said paddles; and each said distal end of each said paddle, contacting said blades in sequential sliding contact during said rotation of said wheel with said blades in said sharpening position, whereby said blades are sharpened by said sequential sliding contact of said distal end of each paddle.
 2. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 1 wherein each respective said distal end of each said paddle has a curved shape; and each said curved shape defining a respective curved sharpening pathway for said sequential sliding contact with said blades.
 3. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 1 wherein said distal end is formed of leather.
 4. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 2 wherein said distal end is formed of leather.
 5. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 4 wherein said distal mid portion of each respective paddle is formed of flexible material.
 6. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 5 wherein said mid portion is formed of leather.
 7. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 1 wherein each said paddle extends to said distal end a length; and said length being equal to or more than a distance from said wheel to said interior surface of said cavity surrounding said opening.
 8. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 2 wherein each said paddle extends to said distal end a length; and said length being equal to or more than a distance from said wheel to said interior surface of said cavity surrounding said opening.
 9. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 3 wherein each said paddle extends to said distal end a length; and said length being equal to or more than a distance from said wheel to said interior surface of said cavity surrounding said opening.
 10. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 4 wherein each said paddle extends to said distal end a length; and said length being equal to or more than a distance from said wheel to said interior surface of said cavity surrounding said opening.
 11. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 5 wherein each said paddle extends to said distal end a length; and said length being equal to or more than a distance from said wheel to said interior surface of said cavity surrounding said opening.
 12. The sharpening apparatus for safety razors of claim 6 wherein each said paddle extends to said distal end a length; and said length being equal to or more than a distance from said wheel to said interior surface of said cavity surrounding said opening. 